Monday, February 28, 2011

This is the inspiration behind a little something I'm working on that I'll be sharing in a few weeks. I think this would make an amazing shower theme for the bride-to-be who loves to cook, adores 'Julie & Julia', and has a thing for vintage. Here's some of my ideas for pulling off a vintage food/cooking themed bridal shower:

Use stacked vintage cookbooks as centerpieces (moms, aunts and grandmothers are great sources for these).

Use kitchen utensils as decor: vintage tin pie plates as wall decor, egg cups for bud vases, jars of wooden spoons that can serve as favors that will definitely get used again.

Have tin cans with vintage looking labels serve as vases for your flowers. Take a stroll down the canned food aisle of your grocery store - there are lots of products with vintage looking labels to be found.

A vintage mirror with red writing on it can serve as your bar or buffet menu - very French bistro. Try a dry erase marker, a thin red lipstick, or even a red Sharpie (use alcohol or nail polish remover to get it off).

Have a 'frost your own cupcake' buffet, so people can whip up their own creations.

Do a kitchen/cookbook theme where every guest brings a different cookbook for the bride with their own favorite recipes marked.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Am I the only one who can believe that it's already going to be March this Tuesday? I only have about a million things to do to get us ready to move out of our house and be London ready by March 23rd, but for now, I'm just sharing my Friday Faves. This week there were so many amazing favorite posts I had from around the wedosphere, it was hard to choose so you are getting one packed post my friends. Have a great weekend everyone, and don't forget to enter my giveaway for a copy of the fab new book 'How I Planned Your Wedding' and a $50 Sephora gift card!

As a former girl scout and top cookie seller in Arizona when I was 8 (lol), I freaked out when I saw this amazing cake by Sweet and Saucy Shop - those are gold painted Girl Scout cookies!! Just genius.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Marry You Me turns 2 today, and to celebrate I'm offering a fabulous giveaway! I'm giving one reader a copy of the new book How I Planned Your Wedding AND a $50 Sephora Gift Card!

How I Planned Your Wedding is the 'All-True Story of a Mother and Daughter Surviving the Happiest Day of Their Lives'. I was instantly attracted to the book because of this subtitle. My mom and I planned my wedding together, and there were definitely high and low points. High? When she decorated everything perfectly the day before and the day of the wedding along with my aunt. Low? When she told me that we didn't need hors d'oeuvres at cocktail hour or that she thought having the groom and groomsmen wear light colored suits would look "stupid" - (she doesn't hesitate to admit she was wrong on both counts though, and we love to laugh about it now!)

#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs and her daughter collaborate on a funny, charming, and poignant book about the trials and tribulations of planning the daughter’s wedding together. Combining the narrative talents of two gifted writers with invaluable practical advice, this book is both an entertaining read and a must-have resource for any mother or daughter in the throes of wedding planning.

This book is a charming mix of non sugar-coated true stories of the wedding planning process, along with real world practical advice from a mom and daughter who have been there together and survived! I highly recommend it for anyone who is currently planning, will be planning, or has planned a wedding with their mom. And have your mom read it when you're done! I'm sure she'll laugh (or cry) just as much as you did.

The authors Susan Wiggs and Elizabeth Wiggs Maas on Elizabeth's wedding day

simply leave a comment telling me how much you'd love to win this fabulous giveaway between now and Tuesday, March 1st. I'll be randomly drawing the winner next Wednesday, March 2nd, and announcing the winner on Thursday! Good luck!

Friday, February 18, 2011

Happy Friday everyone! I wanted to post something pretty for you before commencing the weekend, and this bouquet from one of my fave florists, Alicia of Bows and Arrows, seemed appropriate. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

On Monday over on Hank + Hunt, I was lucky enough to participate in a feature called "A Rainbow of Inspiration" where seven of us wedding bloggers each came up with an inspiration board for a different color of ROYGBIV. I got orange, which at first I wasn't sure about, but now I am so glad I did. There are many shades of orange, but I wanted to go for the softer oranges and peaches with some pops of bold color thrown in for good measure. Here's my result:

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

I hope everyone had an amazing Valentine's Day! I was so thrilled to get these lovely pictures from Photography by Melanie Mauer for a Tuesday Shoesday feature - who doesn't love pretty jeweled sandals paired with a gorgeous lace and taffeta dress?

And some of the lovely details from this Lexington, Kentucky wedding...

Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day dear readers! My friend Nickol of Enlightened Patisserie and I put together a little theme of vintage Valentine cards and some sweets for you today... my favorite part has to be the super easy and super cute DIY crepe paper streamer background, a fun (and cheap) alternative to the ribbon backdrop for dessert tables. I hope you all have a lovely and yummy day!

Friday, February 11, 2011

I love the idea of love letters... there is something timeless and deeply romantic about putting pen to paper and telling someone how you feel. This is a lost art that needs to be brought back into style!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

I spied these sweet DIY Valentine's treats over on the delectable deliciousness blog and think that they would make the perfect yummy favor at a Valentine's party or a fun/whimsical or love themed wedding.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Today's sweet Valentine's Day inspired shoot was another fabulous collaboration between Britney of RSVP Events, Alicia of Bows and Arrows and Nine Photography - these Dallas, Texas based vendors never fail to wow me with their creations! This shoot was all about Valentine's inspiration: pink + silver, girly and sparkly. And did I mention there is an adorable poodle in this shoot as well? The lush flowers and glitzy tablescape are nothing short of a dream... and as Britney says, "Hopefully this will inspire you to give luscious florals, sparkly cupcakes, custom painted and decoupaged lace chargers, and poodles for Valentines Day!"